1-800 CONTACTS, the largest retailer of contact lenses in the United States, a subsidiary of WellPoint, Inc., invests $59 million to deliver on its vision to expand in Salt Lake City, Utah, with plans to create 654 new jobs.

“1-800 CONTACTS currently serves more than 3 million customers annually. There are more than 38 million people wearing contact lenses and more than 140 million people wearing glasses in the United States,” said Brian Bethers, president of 1-800 CONTACTS. “Clearly, we are in a very large market, and we see a tremendous growth opportunity for our company. We appreciate this partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, which will help us continue to grow and deliver our superior level of service and expanding product line to more customers. We have made our home in Utah since our founding and look forward to creating more jobs in our home state.”

“We are pleased to see an established Utah company like 1-800 CONTACTS expand its corporate headquarters in the State,” said Jeff Edwards, president and CEO of EDCUtah. “This expansion of R & D, manufacturing, fulfillment, technology and customer support functions demonstrates Utah’s quality workforce and diverse business environment.”

The company entered into an agreement with the state that will bring more than $35 million in new state tax revenue and more than $455 million in new state wages over the lifetime of the agreement, the Governor’s Office said. As part of the agreement The Governor’s Office of Economic Development Board of Directors approved a post-performance Economic Development Tax Increment Financing refundable tax credit of $8,801,310, or 25 percent of the new state revenue paid by the company over the 15 year life of the agreement.

“Businesses demonstrate confidence in Utah when they choose to expand in our State,” Governor Gary R. Herbert said. “That investment is proof of our business-friendly environment, stable regulatory environment, job-ready workforce and eagerness to work with companies who want to grow in Utah.”